End seam for metal containers



Sept. 4, 1945.

F. J. OBRIEN END SEAM FOR METAL CONTAINERS Filed March 15, 1944 Patented Sept. 4, 1945 4 2,384,042 END seem FOB METAL con'rsmnns Frank J. O'Brien, Pelham, N. Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 13, 1944, Serial No. 526,257

1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in metal containers and more particularly to the end seam for Joining the closure end to the body portion of the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a double seam which is tight and which is constructed so as to provide a space disposed within the double seam and at the lower side thereof to facilitate the cutting of the closure end flange for releasing the end from the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double seam of the above type wherein the body wall flange is folded back and forth upon itself with the parts thereof so disposed that when the closure end flange is brought into tight sealing contact with the body wall flange and the folded back portions thereof aspace will be formed at the outer lower side of the double seam which facilitates the cutting of the closure end flange so as to completely release the closure end from the body wall flange.

In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the opened portion of a container wherein the end is joined to the body wall by my improved double seam. V

Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing the body wall flange preparatory to the folding of the same.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the completed body wall flange before the closure end is assembled thereon.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the closure end placed on the flange of the can body preparatory to the forming of a double seam for joining the closure end to the 'container body.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 4 but showing the completed double seam embodying the improvements.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the seam cut for releasing the end from the body portion.

The invention is particularly designed for the joining of a closure end to the body wall of a metal container and has to do with the formation of a doubl seam which produces a hermetically tight connection between the closure end and the body wall and at the same time provides a double seam which can be severed outside of the body wall of the container for the releasing of the closure end from the body wall.

In the drawing, the container body is illustrated at I and the closure end which is secured to one end thereof for sealing the same is indicated at 2. sure end to the body wall is indicated-at 3.

In carrying out the invention, the body wall 4 of the container body I is provided with an outwardly turned flange 5. This flange is of much greater width than the usual flange formed on a container body for the securing of an and closure thereto by double seaming. The flange 5 is folded back upon itself as indicated at i in Figure 3. This folded back portion is laid tightly against the underside of the main portion of the flange. The folded back portion is of less width than the remaining portion of the flange so as to leave a space I into which the end of the closure end flange is tucked during the seaming operation. This folded back portion 6" I reversely folded upon itself as indicated at O.

This reversely folded portion is laid tightly against the underside of the folded back portion 6 and is of sufllcient length so that the end 9 thereof projects beyond the fold l0, formed when the flange is flrst folded back upon itself. This folding back of the flange brings the flange with the folded back portions into substantially a plane'which is at right angles to the body wall.

The end closure 2 is provided with the usual depression which is surrounded by a vertical wall ll dimensioned so as to fit snugly within the body of the container. The portion I! of the closure end is referred to as the flange of the closure end. This flange extends outwardly and is curled downwardly and inwardly as indicated at l3. The inner surface of the flange is coated with a sealing substance I 4 of any usual type. This flange with the curled back portion 1 3 is so dimensioned that the closure end will flt within the container body and the flange of the container body will extend into the channel and the flange of the closure end will rest thereon as shown in Figure 4. After the parts have been thus as-- sembled, they are passed through the usual double seaming mechanism which includes a chuck which is placed in the recess in the closure end and a series of seaming rolls that are brought into contact with the flange of the closure end and as the ends and rolls rotate relative to each other the closure end flange is rolled about the flange of the body wall and the end of the closure end flange I3 is tucked into the space I. Not only is the flange of the closure end caused to encircle the flange of the body wall and the folded back portions thereof, but the flange of the closure end is pressed against the flange and the folded back parts forcing the folded back parts so that The double seam joining the clothey lie substantially parallel with the body will and all the parts of the double seam are thus brought into tight hermetically sealed relation.

While the cover end flange tightly presses the folded back portions into contact, a space will be provided within the double seam by reason of the end of the body wall flange projecting beyond the fold III in said flange. This space is indicated at IS in the drawing.

It will be noted that in the completed double seam as shown in Figure 5, the folds in the body wall produce a structure wherein there are three thicknesses in the flange of the body wall between the outerwall l6 of the double seam and the inner end portion [3 thereof. This will place the space l5 well out from the body wall I. when it is desired to sever the double seam, a cutter indicated in Figure 6 ,at H is brought into contact with the flange of the closure end in a line approximately directly below the space It and as the metal is severed it will be curled outward as indicated in this figure so as to release the closure end from the body wall. The end 9 of the inner folded part of the body flange support the cover wall It against pressure of the blade l7.

By the improved construction, a tight seam can be formed for hermetically joining a closure end to-the body wall of a metal container and at the same time said double seam is so constructed as to facilitate the cutting of the seam at the lower side thereof so as to completely release the end from the container body. Furthermore it will be noted that when the metal is cut at the lower side of the double seam which is outside of the wall of the container body there is no chance of any small particles of metal produced by the cutting action getting into the contain'er when the closure end is raised.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim. 7

I claim:

A double seam structure for joining a closure end to a container body comprising a body wall flange, said flange being folded back upon itself with the folded-back portion reversely folded so .as to provide a three-wall thickness in the body flange with the walls thereof in tight contact and disposed substantially parallel with the wall of the container body and a closure end flange rolled into tight encircling contact with the body wall flange and the folded-back portions thereof, the reversely folded-back portion of the body wall flange being slightly longer than the flrstnamed folded-back portion and projecting below the fold therein so that the closure end flange will be held spaced away from said fold in the body wall flange to facilitate the cutting of the closure end flange at the lowerside of the double seam for releasing the end from the body.

FRANK J. O'BRIEN. 

